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'Am I the only one ...?' Personalizing 'social' to connect with students.
- 2. ‘Am I the only one?’ Personalizing ‘social’ to connect with students Tim Nekritz Associate Director of Communications and Marketing Director of Digital Communications SUNY Oswego
- 3. Disclaimer The following presentation features adult language, troubling data, Yik Yak posts and the slaughtering of sacred cows. Side effects could range from strong emotions to a desire to sing ‘80s/’90s songs.
- 4. ~1,100 college student suicides/year
- 5. Sobering stats • Around 1 of every 4 adults lives with a diagnosable mental health disorder. • About 1 in 3 college students report feeling so depressed they have had trouble functioning. • But 18-24-year-olds are least likely adult age group to seek help. • More than 80% of college students have felt overwhelmed in past year; 45% felt hopeless. - ActiveMinds.org
- 6. Moreover … • “More than half of college students have had suicidal thoughts and 1 in 10 students seriously consider attempting suicide. Half of students who have suicidal thoughts never seek counseling or treatment.” - ActiveMinds.org
- 8. Together but alone • “Am I the only one … ?“ One of the most used phrases in our Class of 2019 Facebook group – rhetoric or more? Reported by our counseling staff: • “Everybody’s having more fun than I am” • “Everybody else is fine” • “I’m the only one not having fun”
- 9. I walked that road
- 10. Yik Yak: Where things get real
- 11. But there’s support too
- 12. The Big Lie: Generational stereotypes • “This generation is destined to do worse than its parents. They expect to live in their parents’ basements after they graduate college with crippling debt. That they prefer to look for fulfilling work instead of the entry-level jobs of previous generations will stunt their professional progress.” • “This generation has a can-do spirit, a happy-go-lucky outlook. They are bound to do better than their parents and take responsibility for this arduous task. They have learned to cope and find resilience wherever they can. They are the destined to become the next great generation.”
- 13. What’s changed? •Helicopter parenting •Persistence crisis? •Prescription drugs •Illicit drugs •Social media influence
- 14. The Big Myth: Social ‘reality’ •Don’t compare your everyday existence with everybody else’s highlight reel •Everybody hurts •More connected than ever; more alone than ever
- 15. ‘Richard Cory’ By Edward Arlington Robinson (1897)
- 16. The trouble with professionalization •We tell kids they can be anything they want (even Spider-Man). •But when they get to college, some pigeonhole them (Briggs-Myers, StrengthQuest, etc.).
- 17. The trouble with silos • If you build a support system but people have to come to you, it’s not a service – it’s a castle.
- 18. But would you …
- 20. [It gets better]
- 21. No, really: It gets better
- 22. So … Why can’t we do something like this about mental illness? Or can we?
- 23. We need our own backpacks
- 25. What are they saying/doing? • What are students posting on Yik Yak and other social media (both in terms of problems and encouraging words)? • Are any current students or offices producing great content on making friends/beating homesickness/other issues? • What conversations are coming up that haven’t been addressed enough? • Don’t be afraid to just talk to students you know and see what they’re going through.
- 28. Notebook (content + strategy)
- 29. Create/find content • Photos of events • Blog entries • Videos (our Counseling Services already made some) • Link to great resources • Words of survivors from panel: • “Talk about your problems with somebody.” • “Know what support systems are around and know that many people care.” • “Plan a coping strategy. Find things you enjoy doing or friends who can distract you when necessary.” • “Self-talk has really helped. I find words and phrases that reassure me.”
- 31. Students tackle topics/Qs • Homesickness • Being yourself (and appreciating yourself) • Getting out of a rut • Making (and losing) friends • Getting involved (and doing it early) • Time management • Emotional rollercoasters • Tips on succeeding
- 32. Seek + share student advice We crowd-sourced info to help students with transition
- 36. Celebrate our flaws • Fun fact: Our college founder Edward Austin Sheldon was a college dropout and business failure • We are all flaws in progress • Show that people fail sometimes and how they develop resilience • Everybody loves an underdog story • Everybody loves a comeback story
- 37. Map (guidance)
- 38. Where can they go? • Whom can they contact? • On-campus resources • Online resources • Helpful advice • Any guidance (even something you can copy and paste into Yik Yak when needed)
- 39. Amherst College wellness Features include: • Who do you appreciate? • Promotes storytelling and helpful programs • Healthy Minds Film Competition (national,$1,000 prize for short films on dealing w/stress) • Promotes discussions and other paths to understanding, self- awareness and support
- 40. Connections
- 41. Find/promote your allies • Active Minds/other students • Campus resources • Local orgs who do suicide walks • Share survivor stories!
- 42. More on Active Minds
- 43. Reach out • What are other colleges/colleagues/orgs doing? • What’s working? • What’s not working? • What could be working better? [Audience participation?]
- 44. Real talk: When I started this presentation, I thought and/or hoped I’d find more colleges addressing this via social media.
- 45. I was wrong.
- 46. And maybe that’s the real take away. We all need to do more.
- 47. Am I the only one …?
- 48. And I’m here for questions •You can also reach me at: @timnekritz tim.nekritz@oswego.edu THANK YOU!